Refrigerating device



Dec. 14, 1943. A RQDECK 2,336,571

REFRIGERATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WMA-WIWI i INVENTQR ATTORNEYI Dec. 14, 1943. A. RQD'ECK REFRIGERATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1e, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING DEVICE Armin Rodeck, Sunnyside, Long Island, N. Y.

Application August 16, 1940, Serial No. 352,831

Claims.

My invention relates to cooling and refrigerating devices and more particularly to a refrigerating unit or container containing a molded block or blocks of a cooling salt such as ammonium nitrate with provision for dissolving the said salt in water.

Heretofore, where cooling salts have been utilized for the purpose of obtaining refrigerating action owing to the endothermic action of the salt when dissolved in water, various mechanical and manual means have been utilized to obtain the physical intermixture of the salt and water in order to obtain the desired solution.

Thus, in many cases water has been simply poured into containers of the salt and the mixture stirred; or small blocks or pellets oi' salt have been dropped into the water and the Water then stirred in order to effect solution.

Essentially, in the present invention no mechanical agitating action of any kind is required. Reliance is instead placed upon the fact that water which has become saturated with the salt is of greater specic gravity than unsaturated water.

This fact may be utilized in appropriate construction to permit the creation of convection currents or their equivalents which will always ensure that whatever fresh water remains in the container may be brought into contact with the salt.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide in a cooling means which depends upon the dissolving of a refrigerating salt in water an arrangement and placement of the salt and the water with respect to each other so that a continuous dissolving action may occur without agitation or other mechanical aid.

In my Italian Patent No. 368,447, issued February 16, 1939, I have shown one application of this principle where the salt is placed in the upper part of the container and suiiicient water is placed in the lower part thereof so that the upper surface of the water will be in contact with the undersurface of the salt to cause a regular uninterrupted dissolving action, with means provided to permit escape of imprisoned air.

The present invention is primarily concerned with a perfectly regulatable refrigerating unit which represents distinct and novel improvements over my above-mentioned Italian patent.

The essential object of the present invention is to provide in a refrigerating means which depends upon the endothermic action of the process of dissolving a salt in water, additional means for accurately regulating the process and for selectively controlling or stopping the process at any time and as often as required as well as for starting the proc-ess once more when desired for any number of times.

While my present invention in its best form depends upon the use of shaped pre-molded blocks or forms of a refrigerating salt, such as ammonium nitrate or other salts, and while the present invention also depends upon the dissolving away of the underside of the block by bringing water in contact therewith, one of the prime requisites of the present invention is the formation of the block in such a manner as to make the process of dissolving regulatable and controllable.

Still a further object of the present invention is to bring the water solely into contact with the underside of the block of the refrigerating salt in such a manner that all of the water in the same container with the refrigerating salt should at all times be saturated or almost saturated.

For this purpose another object of the present invention is to provide in a refrigerating device of the character described a means for introducing water into the device to bring it in contact with the refrigerating salt block in the manner above described in a regulatable flow which may be started, stopped or controlled, as the occasion requires.

Primarily, the refrigerating device of the present invention is intended as a substitute for ice and dry ice. The unit or container which contains the refrigerating salt block and which may also contain the water may be utilized as a single unit to be placed in an ice chest or in any other place where a cooling action is desired.

The essential diiierence between the refrigerating container of my invention and ice, is that my device may be stored for as long a period as desired before it is brought into use. Its action may be manually or automatically regulated to any extent that may be desired andthe action may be interrupted at any time and the tablet or container transported or stored for use at another time. Further, my device provides a dry cold and does not create a humid atmosphere since it does not increase the moisture present in the space to be cooled.

Many other objects of my invention will in part be apparent and in part pointed out in the following description and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional View showing the interior of a preferred form of my cooling unit.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to the upper portion of Figure 1 showing a modication of the valve mechanism.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view in cross-section showing one form of refrigerating chest in which the container of Figure 1 may be used.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view on line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified form of my invention.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another modified form of my invention.

Figure 9 is a view showing the salt retaining portion of Figure 8 in the position for refrigeration.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing one type of use for the refrigerating tablet or container of my invention.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on line |||I of Figure 10.

The unit comprises an outer casing 2|, the interior of which is subdivided into two separate containers 22 and 23 by the horizontal partition 24. For best operation of the device as it is shown, the device should be arranged as shown in Figure l with the container 22 above the container 23. Blocks of a refrigerating salt, preferably ammonium nitrate or similar salts are secured in the container or portion 23 in any suitable manner, The blocks 25 may be of wedge-shaped formation and are arranged so that the narrower portion thereof is directed toward the bottom 26 of the container; the wider portion is directed upwardly to provide a greater volume of salt near the top to compensate for the reduced efficiency of the dissolving action which arises from the almost saturated condition of the liquid after the process has gone on for some time.

Although the blocks are shown as of wedgeshaped form, they may of course take any suitable form and thus may be narrow rectangular members where that is desired for ease in manufacture.

The blocks 25 may be positioned within the portion 23 in any suitable manner. Various means may be utilized in order to ensure such a positioning; thus, for instance, as shown in Figure l, ribs 33 and 34 may be provided in the walls 30 and 3| to position the blocks. The ribs 33 and 34 should obviously be slanted in such a manner as to permit the block easily to be slid into place while at the same time they may engage the block 25 and hold the block rmly in the position shown.

Other means may, of course, be utilized and thus, for instance, metal grid or screen or a perforated metal strip may be mounted between walls 30 and 3|, being secured to the said walls along the lines defined 'by the ribs 33 and 34 for the purpose of securing and positioning the blocks 25.

The remainder of the portion 23 of the container which is not occupied by the refrigerating salt blocks 25, 25 should preferably have a volume substantially equal to the volume of the upper portion 22 of the container for the purposes hereinafter described.

A valve 40 is provided in the partition 24 between the portions 22 and 23 of the container. Normally, and prior to the inception of the operation of the refrigerating device, the valve 40 is closed. Sufficient water is then introduced through the opening, 4| in the top 42 o f the unit 20 to ll the portion 22. The said opening 4| may then be closed in any suitable manner. When the upper portion 22 of the unit is lled with water, the device is ready for operation.

When the upper surface of the water reaches the lower surface 43 of the blocks 25, it Will begin to dissolve away the said lower surface of the blocks. As the water in contact with the lower surface of the blocks becomes saturated, it will, owing to its increased specific gravity, drop downwardly, thus permitting fresher water to come into place and to continue the dissolving action, one endothermc action thereof producing cold.

The valve 40 may be regulated to increase or decrease the quantity of water admitted to control the speed ofthe dissolving action in order to regulate the temperature produced.

The flow or trickle of water may also through the valve 40 be regulated so that no more water may flow through the valve 40 than is necessary to make this dissolving action continuous.

In other words, only suflicient water need at any time be permitted to enter through the valve 4|) to prevent the liquid 45 in the bottom of the container from 'becoming completely saturated.

When, at the option of the user or for any other reason, the valve 40 is closed during the process, then the surface of the water 45 in the bottom of the container will almost immediately lose contact with the under surface of the salt and the dissolving action will come to a stop.

This is one of the prime improvements over my Italian process. If the block 25 were to extend clear across the container and to fill up nearly the whole of the upper portion of the container, then once water were introduced in the bottom of the container, in sufficient amount to touch the lower surface of the block, then the action could no longer readily be stopped. This was the case in the disclosure of my Italian patent above described.

In the present tablet or refrigerating device 20, the use of two refrigerating salt blocks has been shown. Actually, of course, this operation may proceed as well in a container designed to hold but a single block or a container having any desired number of blocks of any suitable shape.

In the present device also a means for providing for thermostatic regulation of the cold produced is shown and will be hereinafter described.

However, in a more simplied form, it may be necessary merely to provide for fine regulation by various manual settings of the valve opening so that the entire refrigerating action may take place over a predetermined length of time, such as 8 hours, 24.- hours or more.

In this latter case, the unit or container 20 may be utilized in the same manner as is an ordinary block of ice with the advantage, however, that the cooling effect is at all times constant and with the further advantage that the device may be "turned off or the action thereof stopped when refrigeration is no longer desired, and the unit may be stored for use at a later time.

In the device shown in Figure l the ribs 33 and 34 or any other retaining means which may be utilized may be so formed as to prevent any relatively large portions of the refrigerating salt block from being detached by the dissolving action and falling to the bottom.

It is important that all of the salt be dissolved at the upper surface of the water so that the convection current effect above described should continuously occur.

Various other means, however, may be utilized in order to ensure that whatever undissolved salt remains in the tablet will always be at the upper surface of the water. One such means comprises the floating partition 50 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The floating partition 50 may consist of any substance, the specific gravity of which is substantially less than that of water and which is sufficiently impervious to water so as not to become saturated thereby. The partition 50 is of sucient width, as is seen in Figure 2, so as substantially to fill up an inner transverse section of the entire container.

In order to permit the floating partition 50 to rise, it is cut out at 52, 53 and 54 so that the ribs will not interfere therewith. The cutouts 5I to 54 are suciently wide so that they may register with the ribs no matter what the height of the partition might be within the portions 23 of the container.

The partition l5|) is provided with a large number of perforations 60 so that it will not interfere with the dissolving action of the upper surface of the water 55 on the undersurface of the blocks 25. Since the partition is continuously being floated upwardly on the Surface of the water, it provides a positive support for the undersurface of the salt blocks and hence serves to support any portions of the salt blocks 25 which may be detached from the main body before they have been dissolved.

Hence the partition 50 ensures that the undissolved salt will always be in position at the upper surface of the water to permit the convection current effects previously described to occur. Also a perforated screen may be placed along the bottom of the block or along the sloped sides thereof for support.

The valve 40 is arranged to register with the valve seat 10 in the horizontal partition 24. The said valve 40 also has a stem 1| projecting from the underside thereof and registering with the opening 12 in the guide member 13 which is supported by the arms 14 extending from the valve seat 10. By the connection between the stem 1| and the opening 12 of the guide 13, the valve is guided into proper seating relation with the valve seat 10 when it is desired to close the valve. The arms 14 in the opening through which the water must ilow obviously are not sufficient to impede the ow of water. The valve may be manually controlled as shown in Figure 3 and manually and automatically controllable as shown in Figure 1.

Where thermostatic operation is desired, any suitable thermostatic device may be utilized to open or close the valve 40 whenever predetermined limits of temperature have been reached.

I have shown one type of inexpensive thermostatic control device which may be utilized. A tube 80 or other similar longitudinal container may be lled with a liquid such as alcohol which expands or contracts markedly in accordance with variations in temperature. The ltube may be closed and sealed at the bottom in any suitable manner and at the top may also be sealed and closed by a ilexible or extensible membrane 8| of any suitable material.

Any increase in temperature will cause an expansion of the expandible liquid contained within the tube 80 and hence will cause a spherical expansion of the membrane 8| and cause the same to rise. A suitable sliding cap 82 may be placed over the membrane end of the tube 80. Thus any expansion of the membrane 8| owing to the expansion of the liquid contained therein will cause the cap 82 to rise. The cap 82 will then be brought into direct contact with the stem 1| of the valve 40 and thus force the valve 40 upwardly against the force of the compression spring 85, in which case the valve will be opened.

When the interior has been suiciently cooled to the lowest limit desired or just below the said lowest limit, then the contraction of the liquid within the tube will remove any expanding or supporting force from beneath the membrane 8| and thus will permit the spring 85 to drive the Valve 40 down into its seat 10 and thus to drive the stem 1| down upon the cap 82.

A subsequent rise in temperature will reverse the process once more and cause the valve 40 to be opened to permit water to enter to continue the cooling action.

When it is desired, however, to ll the upper container with water or when it is desired permanently or semi-permanently to halt the refrigerating action and thus to turn the refrigerating device off, it is necessary to provide a means for closing the valve irrespective of any thermostatic action which may be utilized for automatic temperature control.

Hence a manual means as shown in Figure 1 is also provided in connection with the valve 40. The valve 40 is secured to the slidable block 90 by means of the spring 85. The slidable block 90 has a pair of longitudinal slots 9| and 92 which register and engage against guides 93 and 94 which depend from the upper wall 42 of the device.

The block 90 has a threaded opening 95 therein within which the screw 95 is engaged. The screw 96 is mounted in its bearing 91 in the upper wall 42 in such a manner that it may rotate but it is xed against longitudinal movement. The screw 96 may be rotated by operation of the knob or handle 91.

When the handle 91 is appropriately rotated, it causes block 90 to move downwardly and hence to force the valve downwardly by compressing spring 85.

When the knob 91 is rotated in the opposite direction the block 90 is caused to rise and tension upon the spring is relaxed and the valve 40 is pulled up.

The block may be arranged in such a manner that it cannot rise to any higher position than that shown in Figure 1 so that thermo-- static control may be utilized with respect to the valve 40.

When it is desired to permanently close the valve 40 and to keep it closed despite the action of the thermostatic device 80, then the knob 91 is rotated in the direction to cause the block 90 to descend so that the spring 85 is compressed to its ultimate compression and thus positively forces the valve 40 into the valve seat 10.

In this case the expansion of the liquid within the tube 80 would cause a break or other disruption of the apparatus unless some protection means were provided.

Accordingly, the entire tube 80 is mounted upon the compression spring |0| which is engaged between the bottom |02 of the entire container and the bottom |03 of the tube. The bottom |03 of the tube is suitably formed as is shown in order to properly position the spring |0|. The entire tube is vertically slidable in the outer tube |04, which is appropriately positioned on the bottom of the inside of the container.

When, despite the fact that the valve is maintained closed by the full compression of spring 5, the liquid within the tube 80 expands, forcing the cap 82 against the stem such expansion may be absorbed by the spring Thus, although the cap 82 of the tube 80 is pushed upwardly and away from the tube 80, thus lengthening the tube, the bottom |03 of the tube may be pressed downwardly against the force of the spring |0| and thus permit the required expansion without opening the valve 40.

Obviously, when the apparatus is set for thermostatic operation; that is, when the block 90 has been raised so that the spring 85 is no longer completely compressed against the valve 40, the thermostatic control of the valve may again operate once more.

By regulating both springs in a known manner and in relation to one another the thermostatic regulation may be caused to provide higher or lower temperature limits. Such regulation may also be accomplished by providing a means for changing the effective length of tube 80|.

The spring 85 should be more delicate than the spring |0| so that any expansive force of the liquid within the tube 80 will react upon and compress the spring 85 rather than the spring |0| in order to produce the operation above described.

I have here shown a simple, inexpensive and easily regulatable type of thermostatic device for use for the purposes herein described. Obviously any other type of thermostatic valve control may be utilized within the spirit of my invention,

Where, in certain cases it may be neither necessary nor desirable that thermostatic control be utilized to control the valve mechanism of my invention, I may dispense therewith as shown in Figure 3, where, in this case, valve 40 may be an integral extension of the block 90.

The screw 96' registers with the threaded perforation 95' and rotation of the screw will cause the block 90' to rise or fall in order to cause the valve to engage with the seat or to be disengaged therefrom. The screw is fixed against longitudinal movement by the plate 91' and the valve itself is fixed against rotation by the fact that in this instance the stem 1| is of an angular cross-section and the guide opening 'l2' in the guide 13' (see Figure 4) is of a corresponding angular formation which prevents the turning of the valve 40 with the screw and thus permits the block 90 to descend or rise when the screw is rotated. In this case the angular or rectangular formation of the stem 1|' and the corresponding formation of the opening 'I2' is a substitute for any guide rails that may be required in order to prevent rotation of the block 90.

By this means a simple manual operating valve may be provided which may be set at any desired opening and which may be regulated manually in any desired way.

The device as a whole may have any suitable form consistent with the operation above described.

Preferably, it is in the form of a narrow rectangular' unit which may readily be placed in any receptacle for items which are to be cooled; or it may be a large container adapted to receive a great number of blocks.

It may if that is necessary have a handle in the top thereof to facilitate the transportation; or preferably it will be sufliciently small so that it may readily be carried.

For specific purposes where that is required, more than one of such units may be utilized in order to obtain the desired refrigerating effect and for diiferent purposes the units may be made of diiferent sizes.

Thus, as is seen in Figures 5 and 6, an insulating chest 200 having a cover 20| and a handle 202 may have two refrigerating units 20 and 20 placed therein, thus leaving the space 204 free for beverages or other articles which it is desired to cool.

The type of refrigerating chest shown in Figures 5 and 6 is preferably one adapted for use in transportation having appropriate insulation for this purpose and being arranged so that access tothe interior of the chest is facilitated.

Thus the chest may be supported upon swinging or collapsible legs 208, 206 and the cover or front 20| may be hinged at 201 in such a manner as to permit the cover 20| to be swung down to the position shown by the dotted lines of Figure 5 to provide complete access to the whole ofv' the interior of the container.

Where my invention is to be used in connection with refrigerating cars or refrigerating trucks, units may be placed in the ice or dry ice containers of the vehicles; or the hollow walls thereof may be formed to provide a plurality of integrally formed vertical containers of the type shown in Figure 1 within which the blocks 25 may be positioned for appropriate operation; in which case the walls of the trucks or refrigerating cars may be refrigerating devices as well.

In actual use to obtain a very low temperature the unit may, after it has been turned on, be placed temporarily in a close fitting insulating container, where it may reach a very low temperature in a short space of time without dissolving any substantial portion of the salt. When the block of salt and the water are thus brought to a very low temperature the unit is then placed in a cooling chest where the operation of the unit may then produce even a lower temperature.

Since I prefer that ammonium nitrate be used in my device owing to its universal availability and inexpensiveness, it is desirable that the entire device and especially the lower container 23 thereof be formed of materials which can under no circumstances be attacked by the refrigerating salt.

Since aluminum and stainless steel do not react in any way with ammonium nitrate, in the operation of my invention I have utilized these materials in all parts of the device which come into contact with the ammonium nitrate.

Other materials which do not react with the refrigerating salt may obviously be used for this purpose.

Owing to the inexpensiveness of ammonium nitrate and the cheapness of regeneration thereof my units may compete successfully with ice or dry ice in all those cases where mechanical refrigeration is too expensive and not feasible or practical, or not suiiciently safe in case of current interruption.

Also owing to the fact that my cooling units may be stored indefinitely to be used as desired, they may be manufactured, stored and delivered in large quantities by mass production methods.

This represents a distinct advantage over such materials as ice or dry ice which owing to the fact that they deteriorate rapidly must necessarily be manufactured daily for immediate consumption, cannot be readily stored and cannot be transported over great distances.

The user instead of buying his daily requirements every day, may lay in a supply determined solely by available storage space and thus may buy the necessary quantity of units every three months, six months or a year and turn them on and use them only when necessary.

The only problem which arises in commercial use of my device is that of regenerating the refrigerating salt.

As hereinafter described, devices may be sold, the salts of which may readily be regenerated by the household or industrial consumer, but it is preferred for commercial operation and for cheapness in production that regeneration of the salt be centralized.

Such regeneration at central plants will not only substantially reduce the cost of regeneration of materials but will also tend to maintain a continuous contact between the dealer and the consumer which for commercial purposes may be desirable.

At various stipulated intervals, the dealer may call at the home or place of business of the consumer to remove the saturated water from the units, insert new ammonium nitrate blocks in place thereof and bring the saturated water back to the central regeneration station.

The saturated solutions collected from a plurality of consumers may then be regenerated in various different ways. Thus it may be heated in partitioned containers to drive off the major part of the water and leave the nearly pure ammonium nitrate which may thus be molded to the desired shapes. Or the solution may be placed in shallow trays and supersaturated by additional crystals. The crystalline formations, however created, whether by a preliminary boiling, heating or evaporation, will tend to grow upwardly and by drawing up the Water in the solution tend to evaporate it, and dry it out perfectly. Or evaporation may be enhanced by freezing or chilling the solution and thus decreasing the capacity of the solvent to retain the salt and thus obtaining a large proportion of the salt.

The salt can then be heated to a liquid state and then molded. One simple molding process which may be used is to pour` the liquefied salt into aluminum forms and then quickly cool the forms and the contents below room temperature; the cooling eect 'of the aluminum and the contraction thereof, will then cause the layers of salt in contact with the aluminum to immediately harden, thus forming an outer crust of solidified salt around the interior liquefied salt. As, during the setting process, the temperature of the aluminum form rises, the aluminum will expand away from the outer crust, thus permitting easy removal of the block.

Various other methods may be used to regenerate the salt and thus to recover the refrigerating salt from the saturated solution.

Where a chilling operation is used for the purpose, it may be possible to use the refrigerating or chilling apparatus of the presently existing ice manufacturing plants in order to perform the process.

Where wedge shaped blocks 25 of the type shown in Figure 1 are desired, the entire regeneration process may take place in trays, a transverse cross-section of which is of the same dimension and form as a vertical cross-section of the block, the said trays having partitions for forming or molding the blocks.

For specic purposes in cases where a consumer is inaccessible and Where the quantities of refrigerating tablets utilized by him are very large, regenerating equipment may be furnished to consumer.

My invention may be used in various different ways and is not limited to the specific form or type of apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Thus, for instance, as seen in Figure '7, the cooling operation may take place in the hollow walls of a double-walled container.

The cooling apparatus 300 is preferably housed in an insulating container 30|. The insulating container has an insulating lling of granulated cork, rock wool or similar materials. This iilling is formed by first `placing a stii tube of paper or similar material 300D within the outer section 300c. Insulating material is placed in the section 300e to a proper height to register with the base of inner section 300d. And the insulating material is also placed in section 300e and packed between tube 30012 and section 300e as shown. The inner section 300e. is then positioned in place. The use of the tube 3000 of stiff paper or similar inexpensive material thus makes it possible readily to form and position the insulating liller without requiring any special form or construction for the sections 300e and 300:1 of the container. A suitable insulating spacer may be provided at 300f to prevent heat conduction from the outer to the inner section. A suitable insulating lid or cover may also be used.

The cooling apparatus 300 comprises an outer container 302 and an inner container 303; the said inner container having a hollow annular flange 304 at the upper portion thereof and securing flange 305. The inner container 303 is mounted within the outer container 302 by engaging the upper securing flange 305 against the upper surface 306 of the outer container 302 and placing any suitable gasket 301 therebetween.

The ammonium nitrate or any other refrigerating salt 308 is compacted and placed in the upper portion of the space 309 between the walls of the containers 303 and 302. The bottom of the space 309 is left empty so that water may be introduced therein to dissolve away the underside of the ammonium nitrate.

When the ammonium nitrate or other refrigerating salt is formed in the upper portion of the space 309, a channel 312 is formed by a screw placed therein before pouring and removed after hardening of the salt. Water may then be poured through the channel.

When it is desired to utilize the double walled container for cooling purposes, water is poured into the hollow flange 304 through the opening 3|4, which may then be capped or covered in any suitable manner as for instance by the screw 3|5.

The bar or rod 3I6 which passes through the channel 3I2 is suitably formed in the shape of a valve so that when the knob 3H at the upper end of the bar 3|9 is rotated, the channel 3|2 is opened and the water in the hollow ange 304 may then pass through the opening 3l8 in the bottom of the hollow flange through the channel 312 in the ammonium nitrate to the bottom portion of the space 309 where the dissolving action between the upper surface of the water and the lower surface of the ammonium nitrate may then occur.

The volume of the annular hollow flange 304 is such that it will hold sufficient water for the entire dissolving action.

When it is desired to stop the dissolving and cooling action at any time, the knob 3H may be rotated to close the channel 3|2 and the opening 3|8 to prevent any more water from trickling in.

When it is again desired to start the dissolving action, the valve may be opened to permit water to pass through the opening 3|8 into the channel 3|2 once more.

The action here is again regulatable, interruptable, and controllable.

Regeneration of the ammonium nitrate or other refrigerating salt may if desired be performed by the consumer. The inner container 303 may be removed after the entire refrigerating action has been nished and all the salt has been dissolved. When the container 303 is removed from within the outer container 302, all of the saturated solution then remains in the bottom of the outer container. The outer container may then be heated in any suitable manner to drive off the water and when sucient water has been driven olf the inner container may again be placed into the outer container and appropriately secured thereto with the bar 3|6 in appropriate position for forming the channel 3|2. Then the entire apparatus may be turned upside down so that as the ammoniiun nitrate solidies, it will form and compact itself in the space 309 but against the hollow flange 304.

When the device is cooled sufficiently to solidify the ammonium nitrate, then the entire container may again be turned to its proper position whereupon the ammonium nitrate 308 will once more be in the position shown in Figure 7.

In Figure 7 I have shown a means for providing for an effective seal between the flange 305 of the inner container and the surface 306 of the outer container by evenly yand accurately compressing the gasket 301.

Ordinarily, a plurality of bolts may be used for this purpose, the said bolts passing through the ange 305 and into the surface 306 and providing for securement at various different points along the surface, the gasket being relatively interbraced between those points unless the metal of the flange is sufliciently rigid and heavy.

The use of heavy and rigid metal is neither necessary nor feasible with transportable refrigerating containers of the type of Figure 7 land accordingly in order to provide even compression of the gasket at every point without providing for excessive pressure at any one point, I have provided a slide fastener for this purpose.

The slide fastener consists of two strips of cloth or flexible metal 400 and 40| which may be interconnected with each other by any suitable slider.

,4 Each of the strips 400 and 40| is secured "'vvithin an annular channel 403 and 404, the said annular channel 403 being on the upper end of the inner container and the annular channel 404 extending around the upper portion of the outer container 302.

'I'he slide fastener strips 400 and 40| may obviously be secured in any other suitable manner to the complementary members.

When the two containers are placed in appropriate nal position with respect to each other, the drawing of the slide of the slide fastener or the interconnection of the two strips 400 and 40| in any other suitable manner will provide for even compression at every point around the upper ends of the containers and thus will evenly compress the gasket 301. The slide of the slide fastener may then be appropriately secured to prevent accidental disengagement of the strips, for instance, by uniting the two ends with each other in any suitable manner.

This type of slide fastener arrangement for compressing the gasket between two members has a distinct and obvious advantage over the use of bolts in that even and relatively slight pressure is utilized at every point to produce even compression of the gasket and thus therefore makes unnecessary excessive pressure at only a few points in order to provide necessary pressure at the portions of the gasket between any two securing points. 4 j

Such a means forl compressing a gasket and holding two members together may be utilized in many other constructions.

Thus, where required, it may be utilized in order to securely fasten down a cover or lid on any member which is subjected to pressure as, for instance, an ordinary pressure cooker or autoclave or other similar devices.

In Figure 8 I have shown another adaptation of the principles of my invention. In this case a double walled insulating container 500 is utilized within which beverages or articles to be chilled may be placed.

In the bottom of the container an inverted pan 50| having compacted ammonium nitrate 502 in the upper portion thereof is placed in such a manner that the pan is supported and spaced from the bottom 503 of the interior of the container by the spring 504. A channel 506 is provided in the ammonium nitrate block communieating with the opening 501 in the top of the pan.

Water may be poured through the opening 501 and the channel 506 into the bottom of the container until the upper surface of the water comes into contact with the undersurface of the ammonium nitrate, in which case solution of the ammonium nitrate will occur in the manner above described.

AS long as the undersurface of the ammonium nitrate is held in contact with the upper surface of the water, this dissolving effect will continue t0 take place until all of the ammonium nitrate is dissolved but when the undersurface of the ammonium nitrate is driven by the action of the spring against the pan 50| to rise away from the upper surface of the water, the dissolving action will cease and the apparatus will no longer refrigerate.

Adjustable mechanical means manually operable may be provided in order to resist the action of the spring and thus permit the ammonium nitrate to be continuously dissolved; and the action may be halted at any time by release of the manual means to thus permit the spring to separate the ammonium nitrate from the Water.

Preferably in apparatus of this type, I may provide a plurality of thermostats 5|0, 5|0, preferably three in number, to engage against the upper surface of the pan 50|.

The thermostats may be arranged-so that they will force the pan downwardly against the action of the spring 504 when the temperature rises beyond a predetermined limit; and so that they will permit the spring 504 to force the ammonium nitrate 502 away from the water when the temperature falls below a certain limit.

One of the thermostats I0 may be made releasable or removable so that the pan itself may be removed for regeneration of the ammonium nitrate.

When the refrigerating action has been completed and it is desired to regenerate the ammonium nitrate, the pan 50| may be removed in the manner above described and the saturated solution of water and ammonium nitrate may be poured from the container 500 into the inverted pan 50 l, as seen in Figure 9.

For this purpose and in order to prevent leakage of the solution, as well as in order to form the channel 500, a bar 5|4 may be screwed into the opening 501. When the pan 50| is then subjected to the heat and the Water is then driven oif from the saturated solution, the ammonium nitrate 502 hardens after cooling in the manner shown in Figure 9. The salt is then retained in its appropriate position, even though the pan is subsequently inverted, by the fact that the walls 5|5 of the pan are slanted inwardly and toward the opening thereof, thus preventing the falling out of the ammonium nitrate.

The bar 5M is then unscrewed from the opening 507, thus leaving the channel 50B so that water may again be poured into the bottom of the container after the pan 50| has been placed in the container 500 in the position shown in Figure 8.

In appropriate cases a cake of salt may be positioned in a ring of conical vertical section corresponding to a portion of a similar container somewhat above the bottom of the said container.

The cake of salt may then be dissolved by water placed in the bottom of the container in a manner which is now clear. The salt when dissolved may then be regenerated in the bottom of the container to form a cake once more.

The cake may then be removed and positioned again in the ring for use once more in the container.

In order to avoid any loss of the ammonium nitrate during my process when regeneration takes place and in order to speed up the said regenerating process, I have provided a double walled lid 530 having an upper wall 53| and a lower wall 532, each of which has a plurality of perforations, but none of the perforations of the upper wall 53| of the lid register with the perforations of the lower wall 532 of the lid.

Thus while the saturated solution is boiling or bubbling within the pan 50| when it is subjected to heat, none of the solution may splash out from the pan, while steam is nevertheless permitted unimpededly to escape. This has a definite advantage over any solid lid which would be forced out of position by the mounting steam pressure within the pan while it is being heated, and has a distinct advantage as well over an ordinary perforated lid through which some splashing may possibly occur. But the primary additional advantage of the double walled lid of this type is that as soon as boiling begins to occur, then owing to the fact that the escape of steam is partially impeded by the lack of registry between the perforations of the two walls, a layer of steam is formed in the space 540 between the walls 53| and 532.

This layer of steam prevents any cooling off of the contents of the pan, such as might occur when steam strikes the underside of an ordinary metal lid and is condensed. The steam within the pan when it rises comes in contact not with the outer atmosphere and not with an ordinary metal lid, but rather comes in contact with a steam cushion so that it is not immediately condensed within the heated container and thus does not tend to impede the evaporating or regenerating process. A lid of this type While it is, for the purpose of my invention, primarily useful in connection with the regenerating process herein described, may be of equal value in various types of other processes wherever it is desired to conserve heat as much as possible and prevent condensation of the escaping steam within the heated container itself. It may thus have many other household and industrial applications in addition to the specic one herein described.

It may be made so that the portion 53| may be reversed and pressed closely against layer 532 thus closing the perforations and causing the lid to operate as an ordinary closed lid where that may be desired.

In Figures 10 and l1, I have shown a method of using the refrigerating units of my invention in connection With a fan for cooling a room or vehicles. A hollow insulating container 600 having a screen 50| at the bottom thereof and supported by legs 502 may have a refrigerating unit 20 of any suitable form placed therein so that it rests upon the screen or upon any other suitable support` A fan 6|0 operated by any suitable motor 6|| draws air up from the container 600 and thus causes fresh air to enter at the bottom of the container to flow up and around the refrigerating member 20 and out through the upper openings. The refrigerating member 20 may have suitable ribs or other formations for increasing heat transfer and the interior thereof may have the construction shown in Figure l.

It may, however, should that be desirable have a tube 520 extending therethrough or a plurality of tubes, providing additional channels and filters through which the air may ow to be refrigerated and ltered before drawn into the room by the fan GID.

Where desired, the bottom may be closed and air may be drawn in through the top of channels 630, drawn to the bottom thereof and then emerge upwardly through tube 620. Or a tube may be placed in the Figure 7 or 8 constructions with a fan at the top thereof. Air may then be drawn down into the container of Figures 7 or 8 and drawn upwardly through the tube.

It may be possible also to utilize apparatus of the type of Figure l0 by using a container 20' which is lled with ice or dry ice or other cooling media. Devices of this general type may also be used for automobile or vehicle air conditioning, where the apparatus may be so positioned that the movement of the vehicle will force air around and through the cooling members.

In the foregoing I have shown, indicated and described various ways in which my refrigerating device may be utilized on a commercial scale. For this purpose I have indicated various embodiments of my device showing the preferred form and modifications thereof.

Many other forms within the spirit of my invention will now be obvious to those skilled in the art. I prefer, therefore to be bound not by the specic disclosuresv herein but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A casing, a receptacle for a solvent arranged to occupy a portion of the space within said casing and cooperating with the walls thereof to form a chamber; a formation within said chamber for holding a compacted mass of refrigerating material in position to be submerged by successive increments in the body of the solvent; an opening( located in the wall of said receptacle in position to permit the passage of solvent from said receptacle to the interior of said chamber; animmeans governed by temperature Ychanges within the chamber for controlling the passage of'solvent thereinto from the receptacle.

2.' A casing,'a receptacle for a solvent arranged to occupy a portion of the space Within said casing and cooperating with the Walls thereof to form a chamber; a formation within said chamber for holding a compacted mass of refrigerating material in position to be submerged by successive increments in the body of the solvent; an opening located in the wall of said receptacle in position to permit the passage of solvent from said receptacle to the interior of said chamber; and means for controlling the passage of solvent into the chamber from the receptacle.

3. In a casing, a receptacle for a solvent; said receptacle occupying a portion of the space Within said casing and cooperating with a portion of the casing to denne a chamber; an opening in said receptacle communicating with said chamber providing a passage for said solvent from said receptacle into said chamber and permitting said solvent to reach the bottom of said chamber, said chamber being adapted to support a compacted mass of refrigerating material in position to be submerged by successive increments in the body of the solvent as the level of the body of solvent in the chamber rises; and means for opening and closing said opening to control the passage of solvent from the receptacle into the chamber.

4. In a casing, a receptacle for a solvent; said receptacle occupying a portion of the space Within said casing and cooperating with a portion of the casing to dene a chamber; an opening in said receptacle communicating with said chamber providing a passage for said solvent from said receptacle into said chamber and permitting said solvent to reach the bottom of said chamber, said chamber being adapted to support a compacted mass of refrigerating material in position to be submerged by successive increments in the body of the solvent as the level of the body of solvent in the chamber rises; and means for opening and closing said opening to control the passage of solvent from the receptacle into the chamber; and additional means for continuously supporting said compacted mass of refrigerating material While it is being dissolved.

5. In a casing, a receptacle for a solvent; said receptacle occupying a portion of the space within said casing and cooperating with a portion of the casing to define a chamber; an opening in.

said receptable communicating with said chamber providing a passage for said solvent from said receptacle into said chamber and permitting said solvent to reach the bottom of said chamber, said chamber being adapted to support a compacted mass' of refrigerating material in position to be submerged by successive increments in the body of the solvent as the level of the body of solvent in the chamber rises; and means for opening and closing said opening to control the passage of solvent from the receptacle into the chamber; and means for supporting said compacted mass of salt While it is being dissolved; said means comprising a perforated iioating partition horizontally disposed within said chamber and oating on the upper surface of the solvent in said chamber and in contact with the lower surface of said salt.

ARMIN RODECK.

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